Thursday, 7 October 2010

The Globe and Mail just flushed themselves down the toilet

A coffee table display for the rich: The Globe and Mail | rabble.ca
I used to read the Globe and Mail daily for news and a couple of columns. But recently, they got rid of the last of their progressive columnists and they seem to have got rid of a lot of their news too. Their new look buries the news and shows what I would call non-news items.
When I walked into a variety store this evening, I saw what looked like a Monopoly game box in the newspaper stand. But, it was the Globe and Mail. I looked to see if the paper version also was all look and no substance like the on-line version. Yes, the paper version was also lacking in substance and was more flashy than the on-line version.

From the post (link above):

The new tarted-up, glossy, all-colour Globe and Mail is many things, but it is not a real "news paper."


It has been "dumbed up" and robbed of much of its news content.


The result is a hybrid never before seen in North America. It is some of the old Globe of course. But is also part Maclean's magazine and The Economist. It is part National Geographic, Sporting News, Vanity Fair, and Women's Wear Daily.


The front page of this new Globe looks more like a magazine then a newspaper.
Interesting, but not riveting, features outnumber solid news stories.
Many pieces are very long, and some of the best articles are reprints
from news syndicates. Large and luxurious pictures abound.


Since it has become this, I no longer find it useful or interesting. When they changed the format I read the comments on the new format on their site and the vast majority of comments agreed that the new format (and being minus the progressive columnists) resulted in the paper now being a pile of crap. I don't see how trying to make the paper more useless than the National Post could be a smart choice in any way. Globe, you've lost a lot of readers now, including me.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Fine feathers don't necessarily make a fine bird. I have read the Globe and Mail for many years because of its content. It appears that the editors have abandoned that appeal since they have fired two controversial, yet interesting columnmists. Unfortunately, the National Post is much too right wing for my taste. I will wait to see whether I will bother to subscribe when it comes up for renewal. McC